"So... you're saying we should hire this person as a wizard to help with my work?"
"Yes."
I awkwardly kept my mouth shut at Carcel, who showed not the slightest hesitation.
'Are you telling me to go bankrupt?'
The money left in hand is 1,000 gold.
If I scrape together a little more of my bank balance, I'll probably get a few tens of gold coins from what I've saved up.
But even so, it's still far from enough.
Sweating profusely, I cautiously asked Carcel.
"However, will I really be able to pay this person a proper wage?"
Because that person Carcel introduced to me...
'It's the Magic Tower Master!'
Magical engineering, which forms the basis of a state-led industrial revolution.
The one who made a tremendous contribution to the development of this magical engineering is none other than the Tower Master.
An inhuman being that has lived for over 100 years but does not age.
It wasn't difficult to find out at all.
The aura of that man across from me, who is openly staring at me with a displeased look, is different in itself; on top of that, he has rare, long, fine ivory hair and light green eyes.
Carcel stood beside me and kindly explained.
“Don’t worry about money.”
"I'll pay. I don't want to be indebted to Carcel any further."
"I know. You just need to pay that person 10 gold a month, but if that is a burden, I will pay more. I’ll decide.”
"10 gold?!"
Lie.
The Tower Master moves his heavy body only for national or territory-level projects.
'To begin with, if it wasn't on that level, it wasn't even worthy of the Tower Master stepping in!'
So, just how astronomical must the Tower Master's value be?
No matter how precious the magic stone is as a mineral, it is not cost-effective to invest it in a business with an asset value of about 3 million gold 10 years from now.
'At least 40,000 gold a month will be earned.'
However, I was dumbfounded to hear that the salary was 10 gold.
'That's lower than a low-level wizard's weekly wage.'
Even though Carcel said so, the Tower Master did not deny it.
He is just staring at me with unreadable eyes, arms crossed.
'Are you really saying you'll accept an annual salary of 120 gold?'
An annual salary of 120 gold?!
That person with sky-high pride?
"A-Are you really going to be okay?"
The Tower Master nodded a moment later when I stammered my question, with a look that said, 'How could that be?'
I sensed Carcel behind me moving slightly, so I turned my head toward him.
However, when I turned around, Carcel was simply smiling gently with his eyes crinkled.
'Isn't it?'
I turned my head again to meet the gaze of the Tower Master across from me, and he spoke to me.
“It’s okay.”
'In that case, I would be grateful, but..."
"How were you so sure that the Magic Stone was there without even conducting an indicator survey?"
The development of the magic stone mine begins with wizards being dispatched from the magic tower at the request to commence surface surveys.
Once that is confirmed, you roughly determine the flow of the ore veins and begin exploration.
After that, samples are collected, and once their quality is verified, full-scale mining begins.
And the Tower Master was also a person well-versed in such matters.
I smiled vaguely.
"That is my trade secret, so it’s a bit..."
"So, since the contract hasn't been signed yet, it's confidential, I suppose."
"There is certainly some truth to that."
Tower Master, Isar.
A person with abilities who acts on their own whims and for their own amusement.
You must not give him even the slightest opening.
'Because Isar was described as having the strongest curiosity among the original characters.'
Isar's gaze toward me became even more slender.
“Hmm.”
Carcel made a suggestion to Isar, who was making such noises.
"Shall we sit down and draw up the contract first?"
"Sure."
And I, stuck in the middle, looked back and forth at them, not knowing what to do.
'How on earth did Carcel sweet-talk Isar?'
And on top of that, you mean they even speak informally to each other?
In the original work, there were few people who could make such a request to Tower Master, who was incredibly unwilling to listen to others.
And Carcel is a character who has never been mentioned alongside the Tower Master.
Carcel asked me, as I was wondering how they had become so close.
"Asha, would you like a drink?"
"Could I have a cup of tea, please?"
Isar, who was sitting opposite us, narrowed his eyes at those words.
“And you?”
When Carcel asked Isar in a dry voice, he tilted his head slightly and answered.
"Alcohol."
"Kane, bring me some light snacks and a drink. The one he always drinks."
At those words, the servant bowed his head in greeting and disappeared.
As we were the only ones left in the drawing room, Isar slowly opened his mouth.
"By the way, how did Countess Delmore come to know Carcel?"
"Isar."
A low, warning tone came from beside me.
Then Isar raised both hands as if to say he understood.
"You're being too sensitive about such a trivial question."
"Do not speak to Asha separately unless it is related to work."
"Then I'll just talk about business."
Isar raised his gaze, stared at me with mysterious eyes, and asked.
Seeing the serious look in their eyes, I felt like I was in a pressure interview, so I clenched my fist tightly.
It was only after quite a while that Isar opened his mouth and asked.
"Are you in a serious relationship with Marquis Rivandel?"
This time, Carcel's voice became even more menacing and louder.
“Isar!”
"It would be awkward if my employer broke up with my friend before the contract period ended."
"That won't happen, so shut up."
Carcel's low voice was bitter.
"I suppose to others it would look like I seduced Carcel to use him, wouldn't it?'
Even if things work out well with me, I will have more to gain than Carcel.
I spoke softly to Isar.
“Are you curious?”
"A little?"
"Then I’ll tell you once we get a little closer. We’re not close enough to share such private stories yet."
From now on, I'll probably see Isar more often than Carcel.
'It’s not just mining; eventually, wizards will be needed for everything related to magic stone refining in the future as well.'
Of the thousand gold I had, 700 gold was intended for sample collection and primary mining, and the remaining 300 gold was to hire a low-level mage for six months.
As such, the magic stone and the wizard were inseparable.
'If I don't win Isar's heart, I will end up causing trouble for Carcel in the end.'
I had to solidify my relationship with Isar now.
So, it would be better to bring up a topic that Isar would like.
"And you know what? Did you know that occasionally, unique types of magic stones can be mined in our magic stone mine?"
"...Hmm."
"Since this business is still in its early stages, we cannot guarantee exceptional benefits, but if a magic stone with unique properties is mined, I will ensure that Mr. Isar can keep it for the duration of your employment."
Isar is essentially classified as a human being within the story, and as an important supporting character, he naturally has a weakness.
When I smiled at him, Isar seemed speechless for a moment.
The very fact that he, who finds everything a bother, is participating in work related to the development of the magic stone mine is because of the mining of 'mutated magic stones'.
No matter how close he is to Carcel, the very idea that he would readily accept that money and participate in something like this makes no sense.
It must feel like their inner thoughts have been exposed.
"Where on earth do you get the confidence that something like that would come out of a mine that hasn't even been explored, let alone mined?"
Isar muttered listlessly, as if dumbfounded.
I said with sparkling eyes.
"Because sometimes there are people who are beyond Mr. Isar's common sense."
"...You?"
"I can sometimes know things in advance that others don't know yet."
I couldn't say it was possession, so I decided to pretend to be a fortune teller.
When I said that, Isar stared at me for a long time.
I grinned and spoke.
"I might even know Mr. Isar's most intimate secret, don't I?"
"Are you telling me to believe such quack talk?"
"If it is hard to believe, you don't have to. But..."
I met Isar's eyes as I trailed off.
Smiling as brightly as I could, I continued speaking to him.
"I'll keep my mouth shut in front of Carcel as well as why you want the Mutation Magic Stone."
"...Hmph."
Once again, a dispirited snort was heard.
Unlike his slouching attitude as if everything were a bother, Isar seemed to be somewhat interested.
"Fine. I told you I was going to sign a contract anyway."
"Because you didn't say you would respect me as an employer?"
"Do I have to go beyond just doing the work and show respect as well?"
"I tend to be thorough when it comes to business. I have to make sure the hierarchy is clear, don't I?"
'I know you're underestimating me anyway.'
At the tone of my voice, which seemed to be saying that, Isar let out a deep sigh that felt like it was rising from his diaphragm.
"Carcel, your lover seems like a bit strange."
"I told you not to speak ill of Asha."
"It doesn't look like anything special at first glance, but..."
Isar's gaze scanned me.
"She's an unusual woman."
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